Generation Z was born around the same time as IKEA arrived in Spain. For them, the brand belonged in their parents’ dusty paper catalogues. To break down this generational barrier, we created a reality show that unfolded in all conventional channels and appeared on platforms such as YouTube, Tik-Tok, and Instagram. In addition, the contestants posted content in their own channel. They showed the IKEA products that they won with each challenge and helped to make their lives easier. This way we brought IKEA and its new product just a tap away from Gen Z.

IKEA has transformed our homes. Since its arrival in Spain, it has given us practical solutions in our daily lives and has democratized design.

However, IKEA is perceived as a brand that always has the same products despite its efforts to renew its catalogue periodically. To change this perception, every year IKEA launches a campaign with the aim of raising awareness of the arrival of new products in its stores.

In 2021 this campaign had an additional component: IKEA was celebrating its 25th anniversary in Spain.

Aims:

- Increase total brand awareness.

- Improve brand perception in brand desire, emotional meaning, and range appeal.

- Encourage visits to the IKEA store and website.

- Increase sales of products catalogued as new arrivals.

IKEA arrived in Spain 25 years ago, and that moment marked the birth of a new generation who don’t know life without the brand: the IKEA natives.

As a result of this insight, the strategy was key to demonstrate the impact IKEA has had on our homes. We picked six of these IKEA natives and invited them to take a horrific trip in time to the 1990s in the form of a reality show.

In over 100 hours of filmed content, these Gen Zers had to survive a house with an explosive stove, heavy itchy blankets, rotary phones, smoky mirrors, and dim lights... But in this nightmare, there was a ray of hope—the “IKEA paradise,” where new products were given to those who won challenges, making their lives a little bit more comfortable.

This campaign had three key findings, both strategically and creatively. The first one is the fact that there is a whole generation born in the mid 90's who don’t know life without IKEA—Gen Zers who were born surrounded by IKEA products, and who see them as part of the landscape. Also, they relate to the brand's values: sustainability, minimalism, and practicality.

Secondly, if we challenged this generation to a life without IKEA, we would be able to showcase in an innovative and disruptive way all the improvements that IKEA has brought to our lives over the years.

Lastly, came the decision to show all of this through a reality show. A format that connects with Gen Zers, who would eventually become our best spokespeople, as they were a living example of the brand's impact on people's daily lives.

If there is a generation who don’t know life without IKEA, let's weaponize that generational gap to demonstrate the impact that IKEA has had on our homes. How? By locking Gen Zers inside a house from the past. This is how we challenged six young contestants with a world unknown to them. A place where they had to manage to recycle without recycling bins or connect to the Internet with a dial-up modem. In the reality show, IKEA's new product drops appeared in painfully small doses to make the nightmare a bit less terrible.

As the reality show unfolded, a transmedia branded content strategy was launched. The contestants’ day-to-day lives could be followed through the episodes posted on all social platforms and the content the posted from their own channels.

- New product sales increased +169%.

- Over €1.5M worth of new products were sold in the first week.

- Intention to visit IKEA increased (+3%)

- Purchase intention increased (+1.3%).

- IKEA's Total Spontaneous Awareness increased to 84% (+2.1%).

- Improved Emotional Meaning especially among the young target 18-34 year olds 54% (+5pp).

- Increased Brand Desire (+2.2%).

- Increased trust of young people (18-34) towards IKEA, reaching 57% (+2pp).

- The perception of IKEA as a brand that continuously offers new products is reinforced (+1.2pp) and the gap with its next competitor increases to 29.2pp difference.

- Time spent on the website x18times more than average.

- 1.1M impressions on YouTube

- Episode viewing time on YouTube +59% vs annual benchmark.

- Reach of organic content on Instagram +85% vs average for that year.

- Increased interactions on stories by +1,432% vs average